


Lines of Communication

by dizzy



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, meet online
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 13:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1859379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizzy/pseuds/dizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First date with a stranger, except... not at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lines of Communication

Darren taps his foot against the floor. It's a jittery, nervous habit but there's no one around to throw annoyed glances or elbow him to stop. 

He's waiting. He's waiting for a date. His first date in a couple months. 

Not that he's been celibate for a couple of months. He's had a few not-dates. A few rolls in the hay, a few tumbles in the sheets. He could do with that kind of action tonight. 

It would be easier, at least. One night stands. Darren's never had a problem with them. He makes sure the cards are all on the table first. He treats 'em right. He opens doors and pays for the cabs, unless they want to pay themselves. Some people do. Darren's cool with that, too. Darren's cool with anything. 

It's like his best personality trait: rolls with the punches. 

He'd prefer to roll with the kisses, though. And like - okay, that doesn't make much sense, but kisses are better than punches, if he has to roll with something. 

He glances around. His date hasn't shown yet. He thinks. 

But he doesn't know. Since it's a blind date. Sort of. Not... really. 

Okay, he's meeting a dude he met on the internet. Yeah, yeah. Laugh away. He's awesome, Darren thinks. Hopes. Hopes all the stuff online wasn't a lie. Hopes this lives up to his expectations. 

This guy is maybe why he hasn't had a date in a couple of months. 

Not like he was saving himself. He wasn't. He just... he didn't have much interest in the whole dating schtick - conversation, getting-to-know-you, the lead in... not while he was getting to know this other guy online. 

Especially after they exchanged phone numbers. His friends have been giving him shit for weeks about how much he texts Chris. 

Chris. 

He smiles. 

Then he frowns, because Chris isn't here yet. 

Not that he's been stood up. Chris still has... two minutes. 

This may be the first time Darren's been early in his life. He'd been in the neighborhood, closer to the coffee shop than home. 

Coffee shop. 

Darren smiles again. 

* 

**ccolf** : So I was thinking... coffee shop?  
 **dcriss** I don't drink coffee, but sure.  
 **ccolf** : Me either.  
 **dcriss** ... but you want to meet at one?  
 **ccolf** : It's that or a bar. If we're going according to acceptable places to meet up for the first time as laid out by the film industry.  
 **dcriss** LOL  
 **dcriss** Well, wouldn't want to forsake cinema law.  
 **ccolf** : No, we wouldn't. :)

* 

Chris looks younger than Darren expected. 

So the first words exchange they have is a panicky blurted out: "You aren't underage, are you? Chris Hanson isn't hiding around a corner, right?" 

Chris is taken aback. "I don't think that show is even still on the air. Oh, and no - I'm 21. Do you want to check my ID?" 

Darren slumps into his chair in relief, then jolts back upright. "Holy shit, you're here." 

"Yeah. That was the plan, wasn't it?" Chris looks at him like he's not entirely sure if he wants to be or not. 

"Yeah. Yes. The plan. That was it." Darren's foot is back tap-tap-tapping. "You want a drink?" 

"I don't drink coffee," Chris says, slowly, like he's questioning not only his current situation but Darren's level of intelligence. 

"Oh, I know, but they sell other things here. I come with my friends sometimes. You like chocolate or vanilla better? Or fruity shit?" Darren hops up, his drive to move, move, move carrying him. Also his sense of self preservation, maybe. He needs a minute to breathe before he totally blows this. 

He's new to this whole dating a guy thing but he doesn't actually want to fuck it up. 

Not with Chris. 

"Vanilla," Chris says. His phone has somehow traveled from where-ever he'd been keeping it, presumably his pocket, to the table top. He glances down at it before Darren even walks away. 

Darren gets to the counter and then drops like a stone, forehead thunking against the granite counter. 

"Can I take your order?" The slightly amused barista asks. 

"Vanilla bean frap and a chai frap," he mumbles, lifting his head only long enough to bang it down again. 

His forehead throbs from the repeated point of contact when he finally looks up enough to give the guy his debit card. The place isn't busy and the barista is on the ball. It's barely a minute before two drinks are being pushed his way, along with a plate. 

"I didn't order this," Darren says, staring at it warily. 

The barista shrugs. "It's a pity freebie. Raspberry swirl pound cake. Won't fix anything going wrong in your life, but it's fucking tasty." 

The barista is grinning at Darren in a certain way.

Any other day, Darren would be intrigued. 

Right now, he just chews on his lip and wonders if this will earn him some points. 

* 

**ccolf** : Quickest way to your heart?  
 **dcriss** A song.  
 **ccolf** : Like singing one?  
 **dcriss** No, listening to me sing one.  
 **ccolf** : Of course.  
 **dcriss** SERIOUSLY THOUGH.  
 **ccolf** : No, I believe you. The ego translates through the internet.  
 **dcriss** Like you haven't watched my youtube videos a hundred times.  
 **dcriss** I see those hit counts go up.  
 **ccolf** : Not denying it. ;)  
 **dcriss** Is the internet translating my ego swelling?  
 **ccolf** : Oh, that's your ego? I thought it was something else...  
 **dcriss** That too. ;)  
 **ccolf** : So youtube counts as me listening to you sing?  
 **dcriss** Totally counts.  
 **dcriss** So what about you? What's the way to your heart?  
 **ccolf** : Dessert. 

* 

"So, I'm just gonna start over, okay?" Darren announces, sliding into his seat across from Chris. He spreads his spoils of war (or spoils of completely legal and ethnically admirable purchase) on the table and then thrusts a slightly drink-sweaty cold hand at Chris. "Chris, I've been fucking dying to meet you and I'm really glad you made it. Here, I got you a drink and something I thought maybe we could share. The barista said it was totally boss cake." 

"Well, if the barista says..." But Chris is smiling and he takes Darren's hand, squeezing it a little. He doesn't even complain when he has to wipe his hand on a napkin afterward. "I've been looking forward to meeting you, too." 

Darren props his hand on the table, chin resting on his fisted fingers. "So, what do you think?" 

"About you?" Chris lifts an eyebrow. "I don't have enough data cataloged to offer a conclusive answer yet." 

"I meant the drink," Darren says, laughing. "But, feel free to get back to me with that one, too." 

"Oh." Chris goes a little pink. "I haven't tried it yet." 

It's fucking adorable. 

The drink is thick and his cheeks go concave with suction to work it up through the straw. 

Darren swallows. Hard. That's a little something else besides adorable. 

Not that Darren is imagining his dick being sucked by the guy he actually only met in person five minutes ago. 

Darren would never. He's got more etiquette than that.

There's a little slurping noise as air gets into the straw. 

Whoops. Never mind. Darren must have left his etiquette in his other pants. Gotta hate it when that happens. 

"It's good," Chris says, pleasantly surprised. 

Darren barely resists the urge to pump his fist. 

"No coffee in it," Darren says. "Just way more calories than you need to know." 

*

dcriss: Hey!  
 **dcriss** You there?  
 **dcriss** Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis.  
 **dcriss** :( :(  
 **dcriss** It says you're online.  
 **dcriss** It lies, doesn't it?  
 **dcriss** Dude I even left for fifteen minutes and came back and you still haven't answered.  
 **dcriss** CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIS.  
 **dcriss** You're killing me, Smalls.  
 **dcriss** Not that I'm saying you're small.  
 **dcriss** I'm probably smaller than you.  
 **dcriss** I'm a tiny dude, have I mentioned that?  
 **dcriss** Not like Peter Dinklage tiny, but short.  
 **dcriss** Did you catch up with Game of Thrones yet??  
 **dcriss** I can't promise not to spoil you if you haven't.  
 **dcriss** FUCKING DRAGONS, THOUGH.  
 **dcriss** Not like... FUCKING dragons.  
 **dcriss** Dragons might be the only things on that show that haven't fucked.  
 **ccolf** : Spoil me and I will end your life.  
 **dcriss** YOU ARE ALIVE. I was about to put out an APB.  
 **ccolf** : You'd have to know my full name for that.  
 **dcriss** You think you're so smart with your smartness and logic.  
 **dcriss** Where were you? I pined.  
 **ccolf** : Your pining involves Game of Throne spoilers?  
 **dcriss** Technically it was just a warning of eventual spoilage.  
 **dcriss** But where were you?  
 **ccolf** : You're being nosy.  
 **dcriss** You were cyber-banging some other dude, weren't you? :(  
 **dcriss** I bet you talk dragonfucking with him. :( :(  
 **ccolf** : You're the only idiot I devote this much time to.  
 **ccolf** : I was at the gym.  
 **dcriss** Are you one of those bodybuilder guys? Because I'm not sure I'm into that.  
 **ccolf** : If I was, my feelings would be hurt. But... no. Imagine the opposite of that.  
 **dcriss** Oh, I'm imagining alright. ;) ;)  
 **ccolf** : Now I feel violated.  
 **ccolf** : STOP IMAGINING.  
 **dcriss** MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. 

* 

Silence. 

Awkward, awkward silence. 

Painful awkward silence. 

Silence so awkward that Darren is actually contemplating telling a really dumb joke just to break it. 

"Sorry," Chris says, staring down at the table. His face is red again. "I'm bad at this." 

"What? Hey, no!" Darren shakes his head. "I mean, we're both kind of sucking at this right now, but it's not you." 

Chris rolls his eyes. "It's me." 

And the thing is - Darren knows Chris has these kind of insecurities. They've talked about it before. 

This is a first date, this is a blind date, but Chris is not a stranger. 

They've stayed up until 3 am texting about their deepest fears in life. When Chris had to go to the opening of his best friend's play, it was Darren he texted his misery to during the afterparty. 

Darren's not shy about his talents, and making other people feel good is usually one of them. He just usually does it in kind of fake ways, and with Chris... 

With Chris, he doesn't want to say it if he doesn't mean. 

He thinks if he didn't mean it, Chris would know him well enough to see through it anyway. 

They're strangers, but they're really not. 

Darren lets impulse ride and reaches out to grab Chris's hand. 

"Remember that night we stayed up watching The IT Crowd and both of us had to go to work without getting any sleep because we lost track of time and the show was too fucking hilarious to just turn off?" Darren's voice drops low, secret sharing in a public setting. 

It's a shot in the dark, but it works. The tension in Chris cracks, just a little, just enough. "And we kept each other awake all day texting each other quotes from our favorite episodes." 

"Which was like, _all_ the episodes, because that show is fucking brilliant," Darren says. 

Chris looks down at their hands still touching, and then looks up at Darren. He smiles, a little sheepish and a little shy and a whole lot like someone Darren could fall in love with. 

* 

**CC** : Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?  
 **DC:** Hello, IT... Have you tried forcing an unexpected reboot?  
 **CC:** ...have you tried sticking it up your ass?

 **CC** : They're fairly regular, the beatings, yes. I'd say we're on a bi-weekly beating.

 **DC** : A gay musical, called Gay. That's quite gay. Gay musical? Aren't all musicals gay? This must be, like, the gayest musical ever made.  
 **CC** : You're not comfortable with your sexuality?  
 **DC** : I'm very comfortable with my sexuality, I just don't want to be slapped in the face with their sexuality.  
 **DC** : (yours, on the other hand...)  
 **CC** : (that's not a quote from the show...)  
 **DC** : (no, that's a quote from me.)  
 **CC** : (pervert.)  
 **DC** : (:D)

 **CC** : I don't like people.  
 **DC** : Have you met all of them?  
 **CC** : I've met enough of them. People; What a bunch of bastards.

 **DC** : The Elders of the Internet would never stand for it.

 **CC** : I'm too tired for a revolution.  
 **DC** : Now, you hold on a minute, sugar-tits!

* 

"I almost didn't come," Chris admits, shoulders drooping. 

Darren wants to hold his hand again, but he doesn't want to push his luck. And god damn, that's how he knows he's really into this guy. Anyone he cared about less and he'd be draping himself all over them until they shoved him away. But Chris, fuck, man. He wants to be careful. He needs to. "I was convinced you wouldn't." 

"What would have happened if I hadn't?" Chris asks. 

Darren shrugs. "I don't know. I mean, I'd have been worried, probably. Blown up your phone texting you. Wanting to make sure something hadn't happened." 

"And when you knew I'd just chickened out?" Chris looks at him, curious. 

"I guess I'd have been hurt, but, you know. I get it. You're taking a risk here." 

"So are you," Chris points out. 

And yeah, he is. But... the risk of not taking the risk at all seems riskier. Or... something. Darren's gonna work on that one. Smooth it out a little bit. 

Darren shrugs in response to Chris. "Life is risky." 

"Less risky when you only do things behind a computer," Chris says. 

"I guess? But it's not like it being the internet means that much. Like... I still feel the same stuff I would if we'd met in person. I just said things to you over a phone or a computer instead of face to face like this. With normal like, dating-" He dares to use the word, but Chris doesn't disagree. "With normal dating, you find someone based on chemistry and you run the risk of not actually being all that into them once you dig in beneath the surface. The conversation could blow, they could have nothing in common with you... this is just backwards. Like, I already know I fucking love your brain, okay? So I ran the risk that we wouldn't have chemistry-" 

"Do we?" Chris interrupts him to ask. 

"I... I mean. I think so?" Darren ducks his head a little. Bashful isn't something he wears well, but Chris brings it out in him. "I think you're - I mean. You look good, to me. You're... attractive. And I mean. Aw, fuck. I don't know - I'm into you, okay? So just - don't worry about the rest of it." 

Chris tries, but he can't hide the smile on his face. It makes Darren feel like he's floating on air. 

* 

**ccolf** : I know you're asleep and you won't see these messages until morning.  
 **ccolf** : If I'm luck they'll just disappear into the little graveyard for offline messages.  
 **ccolf** : But you asked me if I wanted to meet you in real life and I said no, and I kept saying no every time you asked. I appreciate that you weren't pushing about it and you let me take my time but I feel like I owe you an explanation. It's just embarrassing. Because I think you're more attractive than me. I've stalked your facebook, and you have tons of pictures with your equally attractive friends. I don't. I don't have friends that look that good, and I don't look that good. I like you more than I've liked anyone in a while and I am terrified that we'll meet in person and I'll never hear from you again. I can't make you promise not to do that to me, because it's not like it would even be your fault.  
 **ccolf** : But I also think if I keep saying no you'll get frustrated and move on, or you'll meet someone else in real life and I'll stop hearing from you and I don't want that to happen either. So I don't know what to do.  
 **ccolf** : I also do want to meet you. I want to see your face and... hold your hand. And more, but I try not to let myself think of that too much, because I have an overactive imagination and once I start letting myself envision it it will hurt even more when I lose it.  
 **ccolf** : Ask me again tomorrow, okay? If you get this, and you still want to.  
 **ccolf** : Ask me to meet you and I'll say yes. 

* 

The stilted confession and attempted reassurance doesn't cure all of the awkwardness, but it's a start. Chris still has to be coaxed into conversation and Darren still runs at the mouth like he doesn't know where his off switch is. 

Until: 

"Hey, you haven't touched the cake." Darren pushes the plate toward Chris. 

"The 'boss' cake?" Chris teases. "Yeah, I wasn't sure if I was ready to give my heart away like that." 

Ah, shit. Darren could happily be teased by Chris for as long as Chris wants. 

Verbally, or - well, whatever. Darren is seriously up for whatever. It's dumb how up for whatever he is. Chris could suggest they head back to his place for some double penetration bondage and spanking and Darren would pop to his feet with a _yes, sir!_

Not that Darren is into any of that. It's just - that's the level of gone he is right now. It's infatuation like he hasn't felt in a while. It's exhilarating. Sitting across from Chris just talking is better than the blowjob he got last week. Like, way better. And it wasn't even a bad blowjob!

It's just... Chris. _Chris._

"So, should I take it back?" Darren's fingers are still resting on the edge of the plate. He drags it a few centimeters back to him. 

"I didn't say that, either." Chris tugs the plate back. "I'm still making up my mind." 

"It's cake, not a contract." Darren grins. "Unless you want it to be." 

"We'll see," Chris says, but he breaks off a piece and pops it in his mouth. 

* 

**ccolf** : We said two, right? Two pm today?  
 **dcriss** Yep. :)  
 **ccolf** : Okay. Just checking.  
 **dcriss** If you want to postpone, it's cool. I won't be a dick about it.  
 **ccolf** : No. I don't.  
 **dcriss** Okay...  
 **ccolf** : What?  
 **dcriss** : Nothing. I'm just excited.  
 **ccolf** : ... me too. :) 

* 

Darren walks Chris to his car. 

It's the gentlemanly thing to do, and also - he just doesn't want to say goodbye yet. 

"You're not gonna disappear now, are you?" He asks, glancing around. It's an embarrassing question to ask, but he wants the reassurance. 

"I'm not Cinderella," Chris says. "I don't turn into a pumpkin now that the ball is over." 

"I don't think Cinderella turned into the pumpkin..." Darren starts, but the haughty look from Chris shuts him up. "Sorry, I forgot, you're the master of the retold fairytale." 

"Damn straight," Chris says. 

He's relaxed a lot over the course of the hour. It's good. There's more work to be done, but Darren's the guy to do it. He'd lay fucking money on it. 

"So when can I see you again?" Darren asks. 

He's never known when to leave things alone. 

"Um... there, there's a new Marvel movie coming out Friday...?" Chris trails off. 

"Why, Chris Colfer." Darren makes his mouth into an o and his eyebrows lift. "Are you asking me out on a date?" 

"Not if you're going to use it as a chance to make fun of me," Chris shoots back. 

Darren raises both hands in a surrender gesture. "I would love to accompany you to the cinematic experience of badass superheroes in skin tight outfits." 

"At least you know where the priorities should be at," Chris says, smiling. He leans against the door of his car. "I should get in now. And start driving. Home." 

"Uh huh. You should." Darren doesn't move. Well, he does move, he just kind of bounces a little. Too much energy. He was a terror to his mother and his teachers. He hopes he gets the chance to be a terror to Chris, too. "Can I try something first?" 

It's obvious that Chris knows exactly what Darren is about to do. His eyes go wide and he looks slightly queasy (... encouraging.) but he nods. 

Darren doesn't give him a chance to second guess it. He leans in and kissing Chris, more than a peck but decidedly less than a passionate liplock. See? He totally has restraint. He's got restraint for _days_. 

(Ooh, though. Restraints...

No! Bad dick! Down, boy! 

At least until they're home.) 

Chris is smiling when Darren pulls back. "I think I've come to that conclusion now." 

"Oh?" Darren beams, squinty-eyed. "And?" 

"And..." Chris reaches behind him to open his car door. He manages to very gracefully move from leaning against it to behind it, one foot on the frame of his car poised to get in. "And I'll see you Friday night." 

As soon as Chris clears the parking lot, Darren breaks into an impromptu one-man dance party. 

* 

**CC** : If you want to sing on Friday, I'm prepared to listen.


End file.
